Guru Charitra Concise version - Chapters 19 & 20!

Sri Guru charitram

Sri Gurubhyo namaha – Hari Aum

chapter 19

sri guru’s yogic powers

Siddhamuni continued to narrate the glory of Sri guru and his yogic attainment. He had a strong reason to choose audumbhara tree for his presence.

 

When Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakasipu to bless Bhakt Prahlad, he was very furious. To cool him, Lakshmi applied some audumbhara (ATTI) fruits to his nails. The Lord then blessed audumbhara tree, “You shall be a blessed tree. Your mere dharshan will relieve poison and evil spirits. Those who meditate sitting under you shall attain yogic powers. I shall reside with Lakshmi in you always”. The Lord proclaimed. Hence Sri Narasimha saraswathi selected audumbhara tree to sit.

During his stay in audumbhara kshetra, the master didn’t go out for alms. The villagers wanted to see how the master could survive without any food. They deputed a servant to guru’s place.

It was one afternoon when the hidden villager saw from a distance Guru’s strange but wonderful powers. He was shocked, ran back to the village and took a long time to narrate what he saw there.

There was a paddy field near guru’s ashram.  Sixty four yoginis assembled there serving the guru  with the choicest fruits, milk and sweets. They offered him incense, flowers and water. He was bathed in perfumes and water first. Then the master ate very little and walked with them over the fully flowing Krishna river.

The owner of the field stealthily followed the guru and the yoginis. Krishna water gave way for the divine group. After a while they saw a city of brilliance and splendour, many devotees of the master had assembled there, prayed and welcomed him.

 

After a moment, the master turned back to the man who followed them and spoke thus:

“Why did you come here?. Do not reveal to any one what you have seen here now.” The farmer asked Guru’s mercy and prayed: “Oh! Great one! You are indeed the divine trinity. Please pardon me.” When he opened his closed eyes, he was back in his fields. He found a pot full of gold and silver coins there. He turned noble, shared the money grains and prospered.

 

It was magha pournima day. The farmer revealed to the master  his desire to have a bath in the holy Ganga. The master smiled and said: “Do not worry. Let us go to Ganga now, Hold my shawl”. The farmer held the tip of Guru’s saffron cloth. He was at Ganga a while after. He bathed in Ganga, had Vishwanatha shiva’s Dharshan and was soon back with the master.

Sri Narasimha saraswathi yati wanted to be in isolation for some more time. He installed annapoorneswari, left His padukas for the devotees to have dharshan and decided to reach Ganagapur for deep meditaion.

Here ends the 19th chapter of Sri guru charitram.

Sri Gurubhyo namaha!

Aum Sai Ram!

May Lord Sri Dattatreya bless us all!

 

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Sri Guru charitram

Sri Gurubhyo namaha – Hari Aum

chapter 20

Sri guru enlivens dead

Siddayogi was impressed by Namdharak’s total devotion to Sri guru. He continued to narrate the greatness of Sri Narasimha Saraswathi Avatar of Sri guru. He narrated another instance of guru’s grace on even ordinary people of those days.

 

Shirol is a small town near Gulbarga. There lived a Brahmin couple, Sadananda and Parvati. They were generous, god-fearing and kind to all. They kept their doors open to guests. But they had no children. They were very much worried.

 

Once sadananda enquired a knowledgeable  elder about his misfortune. He learnt that he was a miserly one in his earlier birth.`He had loaned one hundred rupees from another Brahmin of shounaka gotra who had breathed his last without repayment of the debt, which is why Sadananda was haunted by the spirit of the dead who cursed him to be without any progeny. Those born were dying in a few months.

 

Some elders advised him to perform that brahmin’s last rites and give the hundred rupees he had borrowed, to a person from shounaka gotram. They also advised him to seek blessings from Sri Guru.

 

Parvati was worried. She had no money to repay the debts; knew none from shounaka gotram. She was worried. Then on a certain day, some one advised her to go to Bhima – amaraja Sangam, have a bath and worship Sri Gurupaadukas. This would certainly relieve her from the miseries, they added.

 

She left the next morning to Audumbhara. After a bath in holy sangam, prostrated before the Guru Paaduka and fasted for three days.

 

On the night of these days, she saw the spirit of the dead Brahmin. He asked her to repay the debt or else said he would trouble the family. Then the Guru stopped him in the dream. He addressed the spirit: “Do not bother this innocent woman. Be content with whatever she repays. Otherwise, I shall punish you”.

 

The spirit got scared. He readily agreed and asked: “OH! Great one! How can I come out of this ghostly form? I feel like amid the fire forever. Please save me”.

Sri guru blessed the spirit and assured that after ten days, his ghostly form will disappear and it would be liberated. It happened later. The Brahmin woman had a dream of Sri guru blessing her with two fruits.

The great one blessed her: “You shall have two sons. Do what we tell you” and told her some observances. She did these.

Parvati delivered two male kids in a few months. The elder one was bright and clever.

At the age of five, she wanted to perform upanayanam for the boy.  But to her utter dismay, he died of epilepsy. The parents were shocked. They believed that he was Guru’s gift.  How could he die? They wondered.

 

The couple didn’t cremate the boy’s body. They fervently prayed Sri Guru of ganagapur. Later in the evening, a brahmachari came there. He advised her to sprinkle the vibhuti of sri guru on the body.  Soon the boy got up as it were from a slumber.

Here ends the 20th chapter of Sri guru charitram.

Sri Gurubhyo namaha!

Aum Sai Ram!

May Lord Sri Dattatreya bless us all!